AutoFill for formula copying in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

AutoFill helps you quickly copy a formula to nearby cells without typing it again. It saves time and keeps your calculations consistent across rows or columns.

When you calculate total prices for a list of items and want the same formula for each row.

When you have a formula in one cell and want to apply it down a column for monthly expenses.

When you want to copy a formula across a row to calculate discounts for multiple products.

When you update one formula and want the changes to apply automatically to other cells.

When you want to fill a series of dates or numbers based on a pattern next to your formulas.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- cell containing the formula you want to copy

The cell is selected and shows a small blue square at the bottom-right corner

💡 This small square is called the fill handle

Step 2: Hover your mouse over the fill handle

- bottom-right corner of the selected cell

The cursor changes to a small plus sign (+)

Step 3: Click and drag the fill handle down or across the cells where you want to copy the formula

- adjacent cells below or to the right of the original cell

The formula is copied to all selected cells, adjusting cell references automatically

Step 4: Release the mouse button

- after dragging over the desired cells

The selected cells show the calculated results based on the copied formula

Step 5: Double-click the fill handle

- bottom-right corner of the original formula cell

The formula auto-fills down the column until it reaches a blank row

💡 This is a quick way to fill formulas down a long list

Before vs After

Before

Cell B2 contains the formula =A2*10, cells B3 to B10 are empty

After

Cells B2 to B10 contain formulas =A2*10, =A3*10, ..., =A10*10 with results calculated

Settings Reference

Relative vs Absolute References

📍 In the formula bar when editing a formula

Controls how cell references change when formulas are copied with AutoFill

Default: Relative references

Enable/Disable AutoFill

📍 Google Sheets settings under Tools > Enable autocomplete

Turns on or off the AutoFill feature and formula suggestions

Default: On

Common Mistakes

Dragging the fill handle without checking if cell references should stay fixed

Relative references change automatically and may cause wrong calculations if some references should not change

Use $ signs to make references absolute where needed before using AutoFill

Double-clicking the fill handle when there are blank rows in the adjacent column

AutoFill stops at the first blank row, so formulas may not fill the entire range

Ensure the adjacent column has no blank rows or drag manually to fill all needed cells

Summary

AutoFill copies formulas quickly to nearby cells by dragging the fill handle.

It adjusts cell references automatically unless you use absolute references.

Double-clicking the fill handle fills down until a blank row in the adjacent column.